As many of you know, GVSHP’s offices are located in the former rectory of St. Mark’s Church in the Bowery. Today we couldn’t help but notice all of the action taking place around the corner in Abe Lebewohl Park and on Stuyvesant Street. Turns out, Alec Baldwin is filming a Capital One commercial (the actor has been a long time spokesperson for the bank). The theme is France (presumably Paris) on a rainy day in the 20’s. This area has such a well-preserved old time feel because it’s in the St. Mark’s Historic District, one of the first in the city and the only current district in the East Village (although GVSHP is working to change that by advocating for 2 new historic districts in the neighborhood). We’ll have to wait until the commercial airs to find out how this all ties together, but for now we put our preservation-paparazzi skills to use and captured some of the filming for you.

On the South side of Stuyvesant Street horse-drawn carriages approach 1920s-era cars. And Alec Baldwin shows off his new Capital One card (what would we do without PhotoShop?!).

L: period-characters shielded themselves from the rain on Stuyvesant Street; R: French ads and artwork adorn the arch leading into St. Mark's Church's garden

in front of Abe Lebewohl Park

the fence outside St. Mark's Church has become an old-time fruit stand

The North side of Stuyvesant Street. That might be Mr. Baldwin himself hiding behind that middle umbrella.